Base embedded,sectional metal shaft



Oct. 21, 1969 R. SPIELDIENER ET AL 3,473,279

BASE EMBEDDED, SECTIONAL METAL SHAFT Filed Feb. 15, 1967 3,473,279 BASE EMBEDDED, SECTIONAL METAL SHAFT Robert Spieldiener, Sion, and Alphons Saiko, Bern, Switzerland, assignors to Willy Buehler A.G., Bern, Switzerland, a company of Switzerland Filed Feb. 15, 1967, Ser. No. 616,227 Int. Cl. E04c 3/30 US. Cl. 52-297 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A high slender tower composed of a plurality of axially aligned tube sections having abutting ends and being connected to each other by sleeves bridging the abutting end portions of the tube sections and fastening means extending through the sleeves and the respective end portions of the tube sections bridged by the sleeves.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION With these objects in view, the tower of the present invention comprises a lurality of aligned tube sections, the length or height of each section being essentially bigger than its width, for instance two or more times, and in which the tube sections are mounted endwise upon each other in that contiguous ends of tube sections are rigidly connected together by sleeves tightly fitted thereto and bridging across the tube junction, and in which the shell surface of the tower is provided lengthwise with a plurality of ribs being peripherically spaced from each other by an angle of less than 90 degress.

Preferably at each junction of tube sections two fitting sleeves are provided, one on the outer tube surface and the other on the inner tube surface, the two sleeves being assembled by a plurality of connecting members spaced from one another and traversing the shell of the tower.

The characteristic features of the invention are fully disclosed in the following description and the accompanying drawing in illustration thereof.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the tower, with interruptions in the length and a top portion in lateral view.

FIG. 2 is a cross section partly on line AA and partly on line B-B of FIG. 1.

The real height of the illustrated tower may be for instance 80 meters or more above ground. The tower is erected by the assembly of for instance ten or another plurality of aligned cylindrical steel tube sections 1, 2, 3 4, the outer diameter of which is for instance about 2.5 meters and the length or height of each tube section being for instance 5 to 8 meters, that is a multiple of the diameter. The contiguous tube sections 1 and 2, 2 and 3, etc., contacting each other with their respective ends 5 are rigidly connected by two sleeves 6 and 7 tightly fitted to the inner and outer tube surface, respectively, and bridging thereby across the junction. The two sleeves 6 and 7 are assembled by a plurality of screw bolts 8 spaced from one another which traverse the sleeves and the respective tube section and carry each a nut 9. The lower tube juncnite States Patent 0 tions are fitted with broader or higher connecting sleeves 6 and 7 and accordingly fixed by a greater number of bolts than the upper junctions, as may be seen from FIG. 1.

The tower is anchored with its bottom tube section 1 in a foundation block 10 made of reinforced concrete. The tube section 1 has fitted in its lower end a star-shaped steel girder bottom 12 with which the tower stands on a base grate 11 embedded in the concrete of the block 10 and consisting of steel girders which are disposed in radial arrangement and extend beyond the periphery of the tube section 1 for enlarging the supporting area. Slightly below the top of the foundation block 10, the tube section 1 is laterally supported therein by means of radially arranged steel girders 13 which extend from the tube periphery. On the same level as these girders, there is fitted in the tube section 1 an upper star-shaped steel girder bottom 14 which is connected with the lower bottom 12 by a central column 15.

The tube section 1 is further provided with reinforcing ribs 16 which project radially from the inner tube wall and extend axially from the lower bottom 12 beyond the upper bottom 14, and with horizontal ring ribs 17 projecting from the outer tube wall in spaced arrangement above each other, the ribs 17 and the steel girders 13 being embedded in the concrete of the plate 10 whereby the tower is anchored.

On the outer surface of the upper tube sections 2, 3 4 of the tower there are mounted radially projecting ribs 18 which extend lengthwise peripherally spaced at an angle of 36 degrees from each other. These ribs 18 may be formed by fiat iron bars of for instance 10 centimeters width which are welded to the tube surface and are interrupted by the sleeves 7. The ribs 18 increase the stiifness of the tower structure and produce the effect that with an air current moving transversally to the tower the occurring air friction layer on the tower shell will be detached at each sharp edge of the ribs.

The top end of the tower may be formed according to its purpose, for instance as a transmitting station for radio or television.

It will be understood that various changes may be madein form, details and arrangement of parts of the described structure without departing from the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A tower of considerable height and comparatively slender form comprising, in combination, a plurality of tube sections having each a length essentially greater than the diameter thereof; means connecting said tube sections in end-to-end relationship aligned along a common axis; and foundation means including a concrete shell in which the lowermost of the tube sections is at least in part embedded and a plurality of girders connected to the said lowermost tube section and projecting radially outwardly therefrom angularly displaced from each other.

2. A tower as defined in claim 1, wherein said plurality of girders are arranged in two planes axially displaced from each other.

3. A tower as defined in claim 2, wherein the girders in the lower of the two planes abut against the bottom edge of the lowermost tube section and extend also radially inwardly of the same.

4. A tower as defined in claim 2, wherein the girders in the upper of the two planes project through an upper part of said concrete shell and are embedded in concrete.

5. A tower as defined in claim 1, wherein said means connecting said tube sections in end-to-end relationship consist of a plurality of sleeve means coaxial with and tightly engaging said tube sections and respectively extending to opposite sides of the abutting ends thereof,

each of said sleeve means comprising an inner and an outer substantially cylindrical endless sleeve respectively engaging said tube sections at the inner and outer surfaces thereof; and two sets of fastening means for each of said sleeve means for rigidly connecting the respective sleeve means and the respective tube sections bridged by said sleeve means to each other, one set extending through the sleeve means and the end portion of one abutting tube section bridged by the sleeve means and the other set extending through said sleeve means at the end portion of the other abutting tube section.

6. A tower as defined in claim 5, and including a plurality of longitudinally extending ribs projecting circumferentially spaced from each other through an angle of less than 90 freely and substantially radially outwardly from said tube sections.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 196,235 10/1877 Knapp 287105 FOREIGN PATENTS Germany.

Germany.

Great Britain. Great Britain. Great Britain. Great Britain. Great Britain. Great Britain.

US. Cl. X.R. 

